USAR Teams

FEMA;s Urban Search & Rescue task forces are part of a national emergency response system. There are currently 28 teams in the United States. I've been a Rescue Specialist/ Rescue Team Officer, Instructor and Search Team Manager for California's Task Force 6-Riverside, for 15 years now. I have responded to team activations at the Northridge Earthquake, New York World Trade Center collapse (Ground Zero), and Hurricanes, Dean, Charley, Katrina and Rita. My training started with the inception of USAR teams after the 1989 San Francisco earthquake. The now 70 member task force is a functional 10 day. self contained team that has Search, Rescue, Medical, Structural, Logistics and Management segments.

I will post some photos off our activations and put some captions to explain our operation. I am very blessed to be part of this great team, and would invite questions or comments about the USAR team. The Photo above shows us in Yosemite National Park training in Advanced Swiftwater Rescue!